As a Chiropractor here in Colts Neck NJ, I see a wide variety of conditions, syndromes, and secondary disorders that may affect any part of one’s body. One of the most common things I see is various forms of peripheral neuropathies. This is when there is damage of some degree to one or more nerves which may cause a mix of numbness and tingling, sharp or burning pain, specific muscle weakness with the feeling of a joint “giving out”, or lack of sensation as if a limb such as a foot “fell asleep”.; this frequently goes by more common names such as a pinched nerve or nerve entrapment. There are also many that are known for specific nerves and locations such as:
The exact type of pain or sensation is dependent on what part of the nerve, and to what degree its being damaged. These symptoms may arise from many different causes which all may have a different method of treatment, including but not limited to:
Here, we are going to focus on a few of the more common causes that Chiropractors see, starting with diabetic neuropathies. Diabetic Neuropathies as the name suggests, comes with diabetes, typically in the mid to later stage, but may appear quite gradually. It typically presents with a “glove and stocking” pattern, meaning it affects mainly the hands and feet. This is thought to be because chronic high blood sugar levels begin to deterioate and damage the small blood vessles, and with damaged arteries and veins, nutrients aren’t able to reach the nerves well and they too start to become damaged. Other than an annoyance of having tingling or painful extremities, it can become more disastrous when dealing with numbness in the feet. If one cant feel their foot well, its hard to tell where in space that foot is and can cause unsteadiness, balance issues, increased risk of falls, and even lead to more serious conditions such as gangrene; lack of blood flow which causes an infection. The best way to treat and prevent this issue is by controlling one’s diabetes and blood sugar levels. However, depending on the severity and diabetic stage, full removal of symptoms may not be attainable. Something important to note, along with the next topic of herniated discs, just because one has diabetes or MRI imaging shows a bulging disc, it doesn’t mean for sure that that is the cause of the neurapathy. Unfortunately, all of us are able to have more than 1 issue at a time, and routinely do, so diagnosing the specific cause to each symptom is a very important task. Sciatica is potentially the most commonly known type of mononeuropathy (damage to one nerve), and is usually assumed to be from a herniated disc in the lumbar spine. However, studies have shown that a great deal of them are asymptomatic, meaning that they don’t cause any symptoms what-so-ever! In fact, a recent MRI study showed that 37% of 20 year olds and a whopping 96% of those over 75yrs have bulging discs that cause no pain or numbness! However, nerve impingment is very common in all populations, and they are frequently caused by muscles being taught and having a myofacial trigger point , or a “knot”, that is pressing on the nerve causing pain or odd sensations. More often than not, when one presents with sciatica, if it is not coming directly from the spine, the nerve is typically trapped by the piriformis or gluteas musculature. Stretching, depending on how its done may make the issue worse. If the nerve is already taught from being pressed, stretching it farther may just damage the nerve more. IASTM (instrament assisted soft tissue mobilization)is a common procedure done at Functionised where a small beveled tool is used to clear out the adhesions that are keeping the muscle knotted. TOS or thoracic outlet syndrome is another common neuropathy, but instead of the back of the leg, either a muscle or upper rib in the neck or under arm in the culprit. This can cause the pain or tingling sensation to go down any aspect of the arm and even into the hands and parts of the fingers, all depending on how many and which nerves are being involved. Alcohol intake and nutrient deficinices are also quite common. Not only is alcohol a neuro toxin, meaning it can directly damage nerves, it also slows and can even stop the absorption of many vitamins and minerals that are required for nerve health such as magnesium, folate, B12, B6, and niacin. If one has a poor diet, eats a lot of processed foods, and limits fresh produce and properly cooked meats, even if not a routine drinker, if a few cocktails are drank the night before, acute neuropathies may ensue. So if you wake up with sharp shooting pain, or a pins and needles type sensation, go to your trusted medical professional, and if in the Colts Neck NJ area, make an appointment here at functionised and you’ll be examined for your exact cause of your troubles to get you on your way to a better and healthier you.
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